Having reached middle age (43) I’ve decided that its now or never to finally fulfill my childhood dream of being a painter and illustrator. Since grade school I’ve been pretty good at rendering realistic pencil drawings and not bad at painting realism in tempera, and oils. I have found an online oil painting tutorial that looks promising as a way to kick start my endeavor and I’ve decided to join a few forums in the art community as a way to gain additional knowledge and support to help me on the difficult journey ahead. I hope to be of service to others here as I grow. Here I go!